Advertising clock



June 1, 1937. E. BOURQUIN' ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed on. 20; 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 1 .w Lu Z mwflm e m w Q A. II S June 1, 1937. E. BOURQUI N2,032,612

ADVERTISING CLOCK Filed 0m. '20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y inventor EdgarBou quin,

His Attorney.

Patented Juno 1, 1937 2.082.812. anvaa'nsma cnoox cam- Bourquln,Framingham, Mm. llqlgnor to.

Warren Telechron Company, a corporation of Application October 20, 1936,Serial No. 108,593

'IClaims.

My invention relates to clocks .which are equipped with motion-displayfacilities driven by the clockwork. Such a clock maybe used as anadvertising device, as a clock particularly adapt- 5 ed for children, asan amusement-display clock,

etc.

In carrying my invention intoefiect, 1 pro- 1 vide, in addition to anordinary time-telling clock, motion-display means driven by the clock-19 work. The motion-display screen may be driven continuously orintermittently and may display advertising matter, pictures, etc. I havefound that attractive motion-display means may be driven by the ordinaryelectric clock motor with 5 the clock mechanism without interfering withclock accuracy and at little additional cost to the clock. 1

The features or my'invention which are believed to he novel andpatentable will be pointed go out in the claims appended hereto. For abetter understanding of my invention, reference. is i made in thefollowing description to the accompanying drawings, Fig.1 of whichrepresents a :iace view of a childrens nursery clock; Fig. 2 shows anexploded view of the screen elements that make up the motion-displayfeature of the clock shown in Fig. i; Fig. 3'i1lustrates a drivingmechanism suitable for the clock and motiondisplay screen of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 illustrates an 30 intermittent motion drive feature that may be Iincorporated in a drive train, such as shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5illustrates a. single lost motion driving connection by the use of whicha variety of motion-display efiect's may be had; and Fig. 6 35 and Fig.7 illustrate face views of the same advertising clock with its displayscreen in difierent rotary positions. The display screen of this clockis unbalanced and is driven by the lostmotion device shown in Fig. 5such that, at 40 times, it has a pendulum motion.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have hereshown a structure which includesan ordinary timetelling clock, the dial of which is shown atl0,

the hour hand at I i, and the minute hand at i2. .15 The clock dialplate, which'is stationary, has an annular extension l3 surrounding theclock dial, which forms a background for the motion-display ieatures.This background plate may have pictures or reading matter thereon as apart of '50 the display scheme. In the example illustrated,

'I have provided a picture of a building thereon at it to represent arailway .station. Fastened to a fast-moving shaft l5 and coveringthefront of the clock dial and plate I3 is -35 a light-weight disk It whichmay be made of celluloid or other suitable material. The disk It may beand preferably. is of transparent material in order that the clock dialand hands may be seen through its central window portion. If

60 an opaque material is used, the central window will be cut thereinexcept for. thin supporting spokestl'iat do not obscure the clock dialand hands. The outer annular portion of disk It has suitable pictures orlettering thereon, dc-' pending upon the display desired. In thechildren's clock represented, the annular display portion of disk itcarries a representation of a railway train I! on its track.

Spaced from the display disk and covering the front of the casingcontaining the clock and display features is a stationary glass crystall8 through which the clock dial may be seen. That annular portion ofcrystal I8 surrounding the clock dial may be made partiallynontransp'arout by paint, as indicated by the crss-hatched portionthereof. As the display disk It revolves, the display ll thereon isalternately hidden by the painted portion of crystal I8, is exposed toview through thetransparent sector thereof, and, hence, the train hasthe appearance of going through a tunnel when it passes from view and ofgoing past a railway station when exposed to view. Since the disk onwhich the train is paint- -ed is transparent, the train appears to beselfpropelled. The track for the train may be painted on the back groundplate H or on the revolving disk It since the track is a circle andappears stationary in any event. I

In the example shown, the display disk i6 revolves counterclockwise. Ihave found it feasible to revolvedisk I8 at a rate of four revolutionsper second intimed relation with the clock. While no particular rate ofrotation is important, itis generally desirable to make it an evenfraction of a second so as to give the effect of vigorous motion andalso be able conveniently to use the display disk for short intervaltiming purposes. One may also tell at a glanceif the clock is stopped orrunning.

Fig. 3 illustrates the drive train for the display clock of Figs. '1 and2. In-such drive, I! represents an electric clock motor preferably ofthe self-starting synchronous variety. .Between its rotor, not seen, andits terminal pinion 20 is av casing 2| containing suitablespeed-reducing gearing. Pinion 20 shaft l to which the display disk Itis secured. Such gearing will be selected to drive disk l8 at thedesired rate and in the desired direction of rotation. i f

The minute-hand shaft 23, which is hollow and concentric with shaft i5,is driven from the motor I! through a slip friction clutch at 24, gear24 comprising a portion of such clutch, and gears 25, 26, 21, 28, 29,22, and 20.. Such gearing'will, of course, be selected to drive theminute hand at one revolution per hour in a clockwise direction. Thehollow hour-hand shaft 80, concentric with the minute-hand shaft, isdriven from the latter through the usual back gear train repmeshes witha gear 22 on I. will be driven continuously when the clock is running.

In some cases, an'intermittent motion of the display disk may bedesired. In such cases, I may substitute for the pinion 20, Fig. 3, apinion 31, Fig. 4, having some of its teeth missing, meshing with gear88 to take the place of gear 22, 18. 3.

The terminal speed of the motor pinion will be somewhat faster with theintermittent motion arrangement and such changes as may be necessarywill be made in the gearing to the clock hands to advance them at atime-keeping rate. If the clock hands are also driven through the lostmotion device, their motion will also be intermittent but it will not benoticeable or objectionable so long as the intermittent motion does notinterferewith the timing accuracy of the driving motor, In Figs. 5, 6,and '7, 3! represents the secondhand shaft of an ordinary synchronousmotor- I driven clock. I have not shown the remainder of theclock-driving mechanism since no change is required therein from thatwhich is customarily used. Such second-hand shaft is concentric with thehollow hour and minute-hand shafts as is the shaft ll of Fig. 3. Thesecond-hand shaft II has a driving dog III secured thereto, which dogmay comprise the second-hand of the clock.

The outer end of the shaft 39 supports a lightweight display disk I,which is free to turn on shaft II but which has a driving pin 42extending from the rear of its hub member 43 so as to be, engaged by dogll. Disk ll is made of or has its central portion made of transparentmaterial so that, when in front of the clock dial as shown in Figs. 8and 'l, the clock dial and hands may be seen therethrough. Disk II hasits cen- 45 ter of gravity to one side of its axis of rotation. This maybe caused by an ofl-center weight at-' tached to its back side or by anextra thickness of material on one side of its center. In any event,when free to do so. disk ll may rotate freely on shaft ll, oscillatelike a pendulum, and

finally come to'rest with its heavy side down- The outer annular portionof this display disk II has painted thereon any suitable displaymaterial, such as advertising matter, and the stationary covering bezelor crystal I! may be painted to correspond. In the example shown, theglass beael is painted the same as in Figs. 1 and 2 with a transparentsector uppermost. In the example shown, the display Cl is arranged foradvertising high grade merchandise such as goes. Its outer annulardisplay section may be opaque or transparent and. if transparent,addltional display material may bepainted on 16 t muonary background asin Figs. 1 and 2.

As illustrated, the disp ay disk 4| has painted on the half shownuppermost in Fig. 6, the words High Grade separated by the picture of a"Ihe other half, shown uppermost in Fig.7,illustrates footwear and theword "Merchandise I Disposition of tisthatw itwillassumeduetogravitywhentorotate to that position, when the c ock the dispiaydisk ll in m 7' isrunning, dog ll will engage drive pin 12 and rotate disk ll from theposition shown in Flg.'7 to that shown in Fig. 6. This will be arelatively slow steady motion in a clockwise direction requirlngone-half minute if, as assumed, shaft II is the second-hand shaft of anordinary clock. The truck shown on this disk will thus have theappearance of being driven slowly up a high grade. When the disk llreaches the position shown in Fig. 6 with its weighted part uppermostcorresponding to the position of the truck displayed thereon, it willvery shortly become overbalanced and start to rotate more rapidly in aclockwise direction due to gravity, its driving pin 42 moving away fromdog 40. Its motion will be accentuated until it returns through theposition shown in Fig. '7 and then it will oscillate like a pendulum,finally coming to rest in the position shown in Fig. 7. It will thenremain at rest a short while, perhaps one-fourth of a minute, until dog40 catches up with drive pin 42 and the cycle of motion just describedwill be repeated. Thus, we have a variety of different motion-displayconditions varying from a condition of standstill to a slow forwardmovement, a rapid forward movement, and a varying oscillatory movement.

The simulatidn climbing up a high grade and its acceleration on a downgrade emphasizes the advertising words v "High Grade.

During the oscillatory movement which immediately follows, the differentgoods, footwear in this instance, pictured on the disk bob up and downand are alternately hidden and displayed to view.

This attractive advertising device is made possible. without any changein the ordinary clock mechanism slmplyby adding the display disk to thesecond-hand shaft as described and providing a suitable clock bezel IS.The movable display disk also times the minutes like a second hand andshows from a distance'whe'ther or not the clock is in operation.

The examples given of my motion-display mechanism and the nature of thedisplay are intended to be illustrative. A variety of modifications willreadily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the scheme shownin Fig. 1 may be combined with that shown in Fig. 6 by simply extendingthe fast-moving shaft ll, adding a second motion-display disk which isfree to turn thereon, and employing the lost motion driving connectionshown in Fig. 5 between the two display disks. Contrasting and changingcolor schemes may readily be had by painting different portions of arotary disk in different colors or a section thereof a different colorfrom the background, and leaving a transparent sector in the rotarydisk. Ah additional display disk may be secured to and may rotate withthe hour or the minute-hand shaft or with both to obtain changes in thebackground eflect. Changes in the color or intensityof lighting effectof the display may be readily obtained by providing a lamp for generalillumination of the display and clock dials as indicated at 4, Fig. 1,arranged to reflect its light downward through a translucent colorscreen 46, Fig. 2, about the outer edge of the revolving display diskIt. The color screen 4' may vary in color and in degree of transparencyfrom point to point about the disk and thus, as it revolves with thedisplay dish. 'gfilcolor of light and light intensi tion the disphy Inaccordance with theprdvisionsofthepatbt of the action of a truck slowlysee ers so statutes, l, have described the principle oi eper etion of myinvention together with the swarm tus which I now consider to representthe best embodiment thereof but if desire to have it understood that theapparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention rosy becar-= ried out by other meoos.

ll claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Retest oi the UnitedStates 1o In combination with a clock having so elec c driving motor, sclocleoperatins mecham driven by such motor, o, clocs dial, a displayrctatively mounted st the center of and in i-"o'ot of the clock diol andheving central viewing window through which the clock dial may seen anden eooulor display portion surroundlag such. window, means tor drivingsaid display rotary cycle of movement timed reletioh to said ole at notlee" them one revolution per minute, a stationery crystoi for said clockspaced ol-hsviog transparent sections through i be ingthe display andhaving o central tronsporeot portion through which the clock dial may beseen, and e, sector-=shaped transparent portion through which is exposeda sector of the annular display portion of the display disk.

3.1m combination with a clock, an electric motor for driving said clock,a, stationary plate having a clock dial at its center and an annularportion surrounding said dial serving as a background for a display, adisk rotatlvely mounted at the center of said clock dial and spacedtherefrom and covering the front of said stationary plate, means fordriving said disk from said motor so as to give ita cycle of movement intimed relation with saldclock at not less than one revolution perminute, said disk being made of transparent material and having displayfeatures inscribed on an annular portion thereof opposite the annularbackground portion of said plate, and a stationary glass crystal spacedfrom 60 and covering the front of said disk through which the clock dialand display features of said disk.

and background plate may be seen as said disk is rotated,

4. In combination, a. clock, an electric motor for driving said clock,a. clock dial, hour and minute hands driven by said motor over saiddial, a display disk rotatlvely mounted at the center of and in front ofsaid clock dial, said disk having a, central window through which theclock dial and hands may be seen and an annular portion surrounding saiddial on which display features from said motor so to give the disk 2,

1 end covering the front or? sold ore inscribed, as lost motion drivingconnection between said motor and display dish through which said diskis driven so as to give the disk o. cycle of intermittent rotarymovement in timed relation with said clock and at are averoge rate ofnot less than one revolution per minute, sod e crystal spaced from andcovering the front of said display dish, said crystal having centraltransparent portion through which the clock, may be seen and osectomshaped trenspareot portion through which the enouler portion ofsaid display dish rosy be seen as said dials, revolves.

o. In combination with o clock, on electric motor for driving soldclock, a clock dial therefor, e display disk rototively mounted thecenter of said dial and in foot thereof, moons for drlv lug said displaydisk from said motor at on over:- sge rate of not less then onerevolution per minute, sold disk having or window in semi portionthrough which the clock dial may be seen end so annular portionsurrounding said clocls dial on which dlspley features are llll scribed,a stationery glass covering for the front of said clock through whlcl'lthe clock dial and dist: may be seen, a lemp secured adioseht the edgeof said display for illuminstl .g the display disk and elect: dial,screen cbolwcter elves.

lug motor therefor, a ole-cs. to Mid motor:

' me eehter a rate hot i er mioute, o display all ototively mounted onsold shaft in from of said oral, sold dish having it ceotrel windowsection through which clock dial may be seen and an annular sectionsurrounding said clock dial on which display fea tures are inscribed,and a lost motion driving con= section between said shaft and displaydisk, said display disk having its center of gravity on one side of itsaxis of rotation whereby, due to such lost motion driving connection, itis rotated at the same rate as said shaft for a portion of a revolution,rotates faster than said shaft due to gravity for another portion of a.revolution, and then has an oscillatory rotary movement.

7. In combination with a clock including an electric motor for drivingsaid clock and a. clock dial, a transparent display disk rotatlvelymounted in front of said clock dial and having an annular portionextending beyond and surrounding said dial, a glass crystal coveringsaid dial and display disk having a. transparent central window fordisplaying said clock dial and a transparent sector through which a.section of the annular portion of said display disk may beseen, andmeans connecting said display disk in driving relation with said motorsuch that, when the clock EDGAR BOURQUIN.

